Garden tools such as pruning shears have long been available for use in and about the garden for pruning purposes, for example, for cutting twigs, small branches, stems and the like. For relatively thick or sturdy twigs and small branches, it is the usual practice to apply elongated handles to the tools to thereby increase leverage and thus make the cutting chore easier.
Most presently available pruning shears are provided with a cutting blade and an anvil in pivotal relationship whereby the cutting or pruning is accomplished by applying the twig to be cut between the blade portion and the anvil portion and then squeezing the handles together with sufficient force to accomplish the desired cutting or pruning. It has been found that the very pressure required for cutting forced the cutting edge of the blade directly into the anvil once the twig or small branch was cut, thereby dulling the cutting edge due to the direct contact. Usually, the cutting edge was fatricated with a single bevel and then ground to provide a finished edge.
Additionally the prior art pruning shear designs required that the pivotally moving portions had to be maintained in relatively precise, tight alignment to discourage any tendency to chew, rather than cut, the material being severed. This requirement for precision at the area of interaction between the moving parts has resulted in increased manufacturing and maintenance costs in order to insure a properly working instrument. Additionally, due to the repeated impacts of the cutting edge upon the anvil, constant sharpening of the blade must be anticipated. Accordingly, the need remains to design a simple and inexpensive shear that is capable of long life without requiring precise manufacturing techniques or constant sharpening procedures.